What is the average price of a good mountain bike?
What is the average price of a good mountain bike?
Mountain bike prices have been increasing in recent years. This is partly due to improved tech but also rising commodity and shipping charges. Mountain biking is a diverse sport and there are lots of different types of mountain bike. Below we’ll look at the average price of a good mountain bike in a few different categories.
The information below is based on pricing in the UK in for 2022 and 2023 model years mountain bikes.
Entry Level Hardtail - £500 to £650
Yes, you can buy a mountain bike for less but if you want to use it off-road it is not likely to last very long. For a mountain bike that will be usable off-road £500 to £600 is the average price point. This will include bikes like the Trek Marlin 5 and the Specialized Rockhopper Sport. These bikes will come with a good quality aluminium frame, decent gears, a suspension fork and hydraulic disc brakes. The hydraulic brakes are important as they give much greater stopping power than cheaper mechanical brakes, especially in wet and muddy conditions. Bikes at this price point will also work well for commuting and general use riding.
Trail and Cross Country Hardtails - £1000 to £1500
If you are starting to get serious about riding off-road and expect to be using your bike a lot then budget for £1000 to £1500. This will get you a good quality aluminium frame, an air sprung suspension fork, 1x drivetrain and tubeless ready wheels. The air sprung fork means you can easily adjust the pressure to tune how the fork behaves and tailor it to your riding style. You can either go for a cross country focussed bike like the Trek X-Caliber with 100m travel forks, a bike like the Whyte 801 with 120mm forks, or the Orbea Laufey H30 with 140mm forks.
Full Suspension Mountain Bikes - £2500 to £4500
None of the main bike brands now make a full-suspension bike for less than £2000. £2200 is now about as cheap as you will get. In the £2500 to £4500 price point you’ll get a good quality aluminium frame for either cross country or a trail focussed bike. Popular models in this price range include the Trek Fuel EX 5, Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy, Orbea Occam H30 and Whyte T-140.
Making the most of your money
If you want a good mountain bike but are on a budget there are a few ways to make the most of your money:
- Look for sale bikes and ex-display models. It’s often possible to get 20%, or more, off by buying last year’s bike or buying an ex-display bike. You just might not be getting the very latest tech or colours.
- Most mountain bikes will come as a range. So, for example, with the Specialized Rockhopper there is a Rockhopper Sport, Comp, Expert and Elite. All of them use the same frame so a common thing to do is buy one of the cheaper models and then upgrade the parts as you go. One thing to watch if doing this is the number of gears. If you buy a cheaper bike which is setup for 9 speed it is unlikely to be directly compatible with the latest 12 speed gearing. To move to 12 speed you’d need a new wheel, new derailleur, shifters, cassette, chain and more. This is going to be expensive.
